


Charlie+Goodbye+Trust

by bthtallmadge



Series: Love at the Phoenix [4]
Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Family, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Grief/Mourning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-14
Updated: 2019-05-14
Packaged: 2020-03-05 12:19:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18828559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bthtallmadge/pseuds/bthtallmadge
Summary: I decided to make this part of Love at the Phoenix just because it felt appropriate. I know it was supposed to be a fluffy series but after the finale. Yeah it just worked. It was an idea posted on tumblr about someone being there to comfort Mac. So here it is. More at the bottom.





	Charlie+Goodbye+Trust

Hannah didn’t know Charlie very well. She knew how close he was to Mac, and how much Mac relied upon him when Jack had been gone. Another brother is what she had heard Jack say quietly as they struggled to figure out how to get the man out of the elevator and save all those people in the hotel and the surrounding area. She liked the man, he was fun, smart, and was able to explain what Mac was going on about when he was in his own head to much to explain himself. But she was not prepared for the sight of the man breaking the glass.

She couldn’t help the gasp of shock as the elevator disappeared. She numbly heard Riley begin to sob beside her, or the sound of the elevator as it plummeted then stopped. Her eyes were on the back of Mac, he wasn’t moving. Then a step back and another, he slowly turned. Shock was what registered to her first; he was in utter shock that was slowly beginning to be taken over by pain and complete and utter helplessness. He stopped as if he couldn’t see anyone or anything but the elevator falling over and over again.

Slowly she walked up to him and wrapped her arms around him burying her face at first into his chest then looked over his shoulder at where the elevator should have been, instead there was a gaping hole, she wanted to shiver from the breeze that now blew in but didn’t, she held her breath waiting for Mac to react. 

At first his arms hung limp beside him as if he didn’t even register her in front of him. Then slowly she felt him wrap his arms around her, slowly holding her tighter. But she still felt nothing. “Mac?” She pulled ever so slightly back to look at him.

“I ah. I have to go down. I need to. I gotta figure it out. I need to get him. I.”

“We can do it.” She felt him recoil from her trying to take his hand. “Mac.”

He blinked and looked at her. He was so lost. She finally understood what Jack had said once, how Mac at his age and after seeing everything he had could look so young almost kid like; yet she also thought he looked so much older than his years too. She didn’t blink, he finally nodded allowing her to take his hand once more and they slowly began the descent down the stairs. Jack met them half way, pulling the younger man into a hug, and for the first time she thought she saw some emotion from him, a few tears as he clung to Jack. Then they continued their descent.

She had not been prepared for later that day to watch as Mac gasped on the floor of the holding cell clutching his chest, then the screens to flicker out. She didn’t think she merely reacted along with Jack racing to that room. She understood then what Mac had to be going through, the panic, the numbness, the brain being void of everything. The medics met them at the door Jack didn’t wait he barreled through grabbing Hannah by the waist as she tried to get to him. “Let the medics first.” He kept repeating as she struggled.

“I can’t. He can’t Jack. Please. I gotta if.”

“No.” He barked in his best CO voice, he knew it would do no good to her, just like it never worked on Mac except when the kid was really weak or drugged. “You have to let them work.” He wrapped both arms around her now as they watched a medic insert a syringe of who knows what into Mac’s chest causing him to breathe again and sit up in a panic looking around. Jack loosened his grip as she ran wrapping her arms tightly around the still floundering blonde telling him over and over to take slow breathes. 

The alarms and smoke that began filling the building forced them to split up as they tried to rescue the others in the building and as Mac raced to the roof for Mason. They waited patiently outside as he joined them, smeared in suet and smelling of smoke. He’d been cleared by medics to go home and be observed. He kept one arm always around Hannah and Jack within sight but never said a word. 

At his house whenever she left the room she’d find him tailing her not far behind. Finally after a nod and nudge from Jack, she headed towards his room. There was a great view of the city from the bed and she sat on the foot of it waiting for her shadow to eventually appear. Jack had cornered her at one point, “He won’t talk until he’s ready. I think he is and wants to talk to you but doesn’t know how to,” Jack paused thinking, “how to say it.”

It didn’t take long for her to feel the bed dip slightly. Mac had thankfully showered, she had felt like crying when she’d seen the bruise on his chest from where the medic had given him, whatever it was she couldn’t remember at that moment. Sure he said he was sore, he’d almost died things were gonna hurt. But now they sat in silence, she fought the instinct to wrap him in her arms and hold him until whatever dam he’d built broke free. She wanted to be held as she cried, she’d just seen a man die. A good man who had so much in front of him, a friend. Over what? Mac wouldn’t talk about it not yet. She wanted to be reassured he was truly fine, still breathing, still there next to her.

She felt him shift. He was leaning on his knees hands clasped in front of him staring out the French doors. He shifted again, rubbing his hands on his now clean jeans before one took her hand. Fingers entwined they didn’t move or say anything. A heartbeat or two later she leaned over resting her head on his shoulder. “I couldn’t save him.” It was almost too quiet for her to hear but she did.

“Mac.”

“No.” His voice was soft as she sat up looking at him tears shone in his eyes. “I couldn’t save him. No matter what I did one or both were going to die. It was set up that way on purpose. He was found on purpose. He planned to kill all of us on purpose. And I couldn’t do anything. It’s not safe to be near me.”

There was anguish in his voice she’d never heard before. She slid from the bed and knelt in front of him gently taking his face into her hands forcing the blonde to look at her. “You tried. He didn’t give you a choice. He took that choice from you because he knew you wouldn’t. You’d get yourself killed first.” Mac shook his head and tried to pull away, tears slowly falling down his cheeks.

She held onto him tight. “Yes Angus MacGyver.” He stopped and looked at her she’d never used his full name before. “Charlie did the same thing you would have done and were working towards. He decided. He decided what the outcome was going to be. He took that choice from you because he knew you weren’t going to. You have to live keep living to make sure his sacrifice was not in vain.” She pulled him into her feeling him slowly wrap his arms around her burying his face into the crook of her neck.

“Charlie loved you Mac. With every ounce of his being. You are his brother always have been always will be no matter where or what. You were not given a choice because the choice was made for you. It is not your fault none of this is your fault.” She felt his shoulders slowly begin to shake. “I’m safer with you than away from you. Away from you I’m. If I lost you.” Her voice hitched. “Today I nearly did Mac twice.”

He tightened his arms around her. “I don’t know how.” His voice hitched. “I don’t know how to do this. How to go on. I never. Even with mom, Pena all the others.”

“You’re doing fine.” Hannah tightened her hold on him. “We each do it differently so there is no right or wrong. Just. Don’t shut me out. Don’t shut Jack out any of us out. We’re here for you. To help you how and where and when you need it. If it’s late night talks. Just this.” She tightened her hold on him once more. “Or if it’s nothing but just sitting there. Promise?’

He nodded, she didn’t let go of him even as he sobbed heart wrenching sobs that shook his whole body. She didn’t let go when Jack finally entered the room worried at how long they’d been gone. She only let go when Mac did to hold onto Jack, the only one who probably truly understood what the kid was going through. She removed herself to the other side of the room trying to get her own tears under some control as she watched the two brothers holding onto one another, as if afraid letting go would mean one disappeared. She didn’t hear what either said, she just knew they were talking. “Thanks.” She heard Mac say that was her que to join them on the bed again.

“Any time bud.” Jack gripped Mac by the back of his neck. 

“I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye.” Mac said sounding as if he suddenly realized what had happened. In the chaos of the moment it was true, Mac hadn’t gotten a chance to say anything to Charlie other than promise to get him out.

Hannah leaned her head against his shoulder. Jack’s breath hitched. “I know man. The whole thing isn’t fair. Especially that. But you still get a chance to say it.”

“He won’t get to hear anything I have to say. He won’t ever know what he means, meant to me.”

“He knew Mac.’ Jack said softly. “He knew. And he’ll be there listening. He trusts you to do what needs to be done now. To live. To go on. To not forget him. He also trusts us to help you and each other through this. Like Hannah said. We can’t shut each other or this idiot wins.”

Mac nodded again head still bent, “I hear you Jack.” He looked up at the older man, his brother, the man he considered more like a father than his own father.

The older man nodded squeezing his neck once more before moving to stand. “We’ve all been through a lot today. What do you say to some pizza and a few beers on the balcony?” Jacks voice was soft.

Mac nodded as Jack stood, rubbing his hands on his pants again a nervous habit he’d only begun to do recently. Hannah began to follow Jack out when Mac grabbed her arm. “Thank you.” He said softly. “Without you I don’t know.”

She smiled at him. “I know.”

The rest of the evening was a flow of talking, shared stories and happier memories. Hannah was allotted the spot on Mac’s lap the whole evening, Jack at his side in the other chair as the fire burned in the pit before them. Mac had decided to ignore the call from his father, not ready to deal with that yet after the day they’d had. He’d told everyone what he’d learned, and how he knew until probably after Charlie’s funeral in a few days, he would not be mentally ready to tackle the idea of his father yet, or going after Mason. He needed time to heal, to process, to grieve in his own way and everyone agreed.

As everyone slowly made their way to wherever they decided to sleep that night, Mac snatched Hannah’s hand. “I know we haven’t slept near each other other when you were sick. Or we fall asleep on the couch. And you don’t have to if you don’t want to. I mean that’s fine it isn’t a big deal. It was kind of stupid for asking.”

“You haven’t asked yet.” She interrupted him smiling at how nervous he was.

“Right.” He chuckled running a hand through his hair. “I really don’t want to be alone tonight. Would you stay with me? In my room I mean.”

“If I can snag a pair of pajamas.” She smiled at him.

He nodded and led her to his room where he rummaged through the drawers until he found a pair of flannel bottoms and an old Army shirt she could wear. She ducked into the bathroom taking her time giving him a chance to change. She crept out after waiting as long as she could to find Mac sitting on the edge of the bed already changed almost identically to her. He slid across the bed and under the covers holding them up for her. She crawled under and wrapped herself around him neither spoke for the longest time. “Thank you.”

“Always.” She said softly stretching up to kiss his cheek only to be met with his lips instead. She smiled and snuggled back down. 

She felt Mac pull her tighter against him. Throughout the night she slept lightly, there to hold him when he started to cry, or wake him when the dreams became too real. Or for her when she jerked awake afraid he had stopped breathing again. Finally Mac seemed to fall into a more peaceful sleep just as the sky began to lighten the sky outside his doors. It wasn’t much but at least it was a start.

Hannah jerked awake, the bed was empty. She squinted at the alarm clock 10:45. She flopped back with a groan, a headache about ready to form from lack of sleep. She sat up with a frown the bed was cold which meant Mac had been up for a while. She moved to get up when the door opened the aforesaid MacGyver walking in a tray of orange juice, coffee and rather large plate of pancakes on it and a single daisy. Bozer must have been processing what had happened with cooking, for when Mac sat the tray down there were also Danishes that looked homemade and a cinnamon rolls. “Morning.” Mac said softly. “I hope I didn’t keep you up.”

“Morning.” Hannah ignored the question. “I do hope you are going to be helping me with some of this?”

Mac chuckled, “You bet.” He leaned forward and kissed her surprising the young woman, “Thank you. For last night. It helped. Doesn’t seem like much but.”

“I’m glad I could help. I’ll be happy to do it as long as you need.” 

Mac nodded and looked down at the blanket. “You know that goes two ways. Jack told me about what happened when I blacked out.” Hannah swallowed wiping at the tears that once again threatened to spill out. Mac shifted on the bed to be sitting next to her and pulled her into a hug. Neither said anything for a short spell.

“Don’t do that again Mac. Or I swear I’ll kill you myself.”

Mac gave her a small smile. “Can’t promise but I’ll try.”

She nodded smiling now too, “So where do we start?” 

Mac barked out a laugh. “I’d start with the danishes I think they survived better than some of the other stuff.” As if on que Jack’s complaining voice was heard through the open door about something floating in his coffee, and how his pancakes were burnt to a crisp, did Bozer let Mac back in the kitchen.

“That’s not fair!” Mac called from his room as he grabbed at one of the Danishes but winked at Hannah. 

“You’ve never tried to eat what you’ve cooked!” Jack yelled back down the hall and continued his tirade of how a human was supposed to get something to eat that was respectable when the kitchen and cook was a total mess. Bozers reply must have been colorful because Riley’s laughter soon filtered through the two loud voices. It wasn’t perfect, there were still going to be days of tears and lost looks, but for now, it was a stepping stone forwards for the team, towards Mac finding his center again. And Hannah was willing to help him through however she had to. But for now it was nice to see him smile and laugh, to eat and spend time with him.

**Author's Note:**

> It just felt appropriate to have it in this series, that Mac gets some sort of comfort from someone and why not make it our Hannah? I also have Jack here because well it fits this series better. And as much as I like Desi, she just didn't and doesn't fit this series. I'm not going to ignore her forever, but, I just haven't figured out a way to work her in just yet. Sorry this isn't fluffy, it ends kind of fluffy. But after the finale I had to write something about it again. Still going to try and keep this mostly a fluffy series promise. Working on another chapter of the birthday fic. Any mistakes are my own as I wrote it all at once to get it out and try and help make the finale less I'm not sure. Any way. Be nice with the comments please. Kudos make me very happy too.


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